How to describe Singapore? After 3 days (too short, I know) of wandering through this city(-state) I would say: a mix of Tokyo, New York and Dubai, topped with some South-Asian sauce. It’s definitely as clean (and safe) as Tokyo and Singapore’s public transport is almost as well-organized (you just cannot beat Japan on this). It definitely has some New York city vibes, maybe partly because everyone speaks English but its mix of nationalities and cultures has also something to do with it ( however Singapore is definitely winning concerning diversity). So why Dubai? Besides the temperature (and use of AC everywhere) Singapore’s architecture really reminded me of Dubai, same goes for the Garden Rhapsody show at the Supertrees, which you can compare with Dubai’s lightshow at the Burj Khalifa.

I guess 3 days is way too short to get to know Singapore (they have everything!) but here are some of my highlights:

Gardens by the bay

This nature parks spans 101 hectares of land in the central region of Singapore, it holds a cloud forest, a flower dome and (my favourite) supertrees. The latter are man-made trees consisting of a concrete core, a trunk made of steel with a ‘living skin’ (plants and flowers) on top and an umbrella-shaped canopy. They look quite impressive (they go up to 50 meters) and are most magical at night, definitely during the Garden Rhapsody show, a light and music spectacle (at 7pm each night). Oh and the best part ? They generate electricity! Most of the trees are fitted with solar panels, the energy generated is used to provide lighting and aids the technology to water the rest of the gardens.

The skywalk allows you to walk between the trees at a height of 22 metres, a nice experience with a great view.

The building below, which looks like a huge paddle board in my opinion (my boyfriend keeps saying it’s a ship), is Marina Bay Sands. It houses a hotel, a convention center, some restaurants, a casino,… and is apparently owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation (Wikipedia told me this fun-fact).

You can get to the Marina Bay Area via the Helix Bridge, a huge pedestrian bridge with a design based on….a helix (didn’t have to use Wikipedia for that).

Southern Ridges

Besides the rather artificial gardens by the bay, Singapore also has quite some natural parks and nature reserves. The Southern Ridges connect several parks, we hiked between the tree tops and went from Mount Fabre park to Telok Blangah Hill park via the Henderson Waves. Henderson Waves is the highest (36 metres) pedestrian bridge in Singapore and has a wave-like structure (what’s in a name). The ridges are definitely worth a visit if you want to go for an (easy) hike, the nice views are complimentary.

Chinatown, Little India and Arab street

So, we now know Singapore offers parks, skyscrapers and fake energy-producing trees but it also has a lot of cosy streets and neighbourhoods. Little India offers you a lot of colours, golden jewellery and the scent of herbs. In Arab street you find loads of cosy restaurants offering Arabic delicacies but also Western, Asian and even Mexican food (jup, nachos). If you want some flashy, singing or dancing souvenirs: go to China Town! Also the place to be for Chinese restaurants (obviously) and a temple visit.

Singapore river and Clarke Quay

As it started to rain during our walk along the Singapore river (and it didn’t stop until midnight), we only quickly visited this part of Singapore and I could only take some cloudy pictures (no pretty blue sky). During this short visit, we did find a bar offering beers at $4, which is quite an impressive (cheap) price in Singapore and definitely when you have a (corner) view on the river. So… if interested: the “Tipsy Cow” is your place to be!

I hope you enjoyed this post (and its pictures) about Singapore. Feel free to share on your socials. If you have any questions or you want some additional information, do not hesitate to ask in the comment section below 🙂

Lots of Love,

Broccolise

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *